On this episode of Easy Shifts: Conversations on Meals, Life, Weight and Mindset, Martha McKinnon and Peter Morrison talk about the idea of part meal prep as a versatile and environment friendly method to meal planning. They discover the significance of planning forward to keep away from unhealthy consuming habits, share insights on overcoming the worry of not being prepared, and emphasize the worth of blending and matching substances to create various meals.
The dialog highlights the advantages of simplifying meal prep to scale back meals waste and improve the cooking expertise, finally encouraging listeners to discover a meal prep technique that resonates with their way of life.
Key Takeaways
- Part meal prep permits for flexibility and selection in meals.
- Planning forward is essential to keep away from unhealthy consuming decisions.
- Insights from conversations can result in life-changing realizations.
- The idea of ‘sometime’ is commonly simply an excuse for inaction.
- You don’t must be an professional to share invaluable insights.
- Mixing and matching substances could make meals extra thrilling.
- Simplifying meal planning can cut back determination fatigue.
- Cooking for one or two may be made simpler with part prep.
- Much less meals waste may result from a part cooking method.
- Preserve experimenting with meal prep methods to search out what works for you.
Part Meal Prep Podcast
Video Transcript
Martha McKinnon (00:00)
Hello, welcome to Easy Shifts, conversations to gas your physique, thoughts and soul. I’m Martha McKinnon from the weblog web site, Easy Nourished Residing, and that is my brother and companion, Peter Morrison.
Peter Morrison (00:25)
Hello everybody.
Martha McKinnon (00:30)
Hiya, whats up. How are you?
Peter Morrison (00:36)
Hello, I’m doing good. One other lovely day in Southern California. How are you doing?
Martha McKinnon (00:43)
I’m doing rather well. So in the present day our matter goes to be part meal prep or ingredient meal prep versus extra conventional meal prep. However earlier than we dive into that, what’s thrilling in your world?
Peter Morrison (1:00)
I’m pleased to report we’re on podcast quantity 19.
Martha McKinnon (1:09)
Okay, so we haven’t give up but. We’re hanging in there. We’re persevering with to chip away, discover, study, discover our rhythm. And it’s enjoyable, I feel it’s enjoyable, as a result of I feel that is only a good adjunct, I feel, to what we do on the web site the place we offer plenty of recipes which might be low calorie, which might be simple, wholesome, Weight Watchers pleasant. And we get plenty of questions, we put out emails a number of occasions every week, the place we additionally attempt to, I additionally attempt to present some meals for thought and encouragement and inspiration past simply meals.
And now that is simply one other avenue, one other method to kind of take a unique take a look at a few of these features which might be form of integral to the entire journey, the entire weight reduction, weight administration, wholesome consuming, wholesome residing journey. So I’m discovering it enjoyable, are you?
Peter Morrison (2:27)
I’m, I’m. It’s completely different, yeah, having a dialog versus simply writing about one thing.
Martha McKinnon (2:34)
Good. Good. Yeah, and I feel there’s lots, I don’t find out about you, however I’ve had by way of the years, if I feel again on my life, I’ve had like insights by way of dialog with individuals, you realize, issues that, that bought by way of in a approach that they didn’t get by way of in different kinds, different media.
Peter Morrison (2:45)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Otherwise you’ll hear one thing that can possibly not even within the second imply something, however a day or two later, one thing will trigger you to assume in another way.
Martha McKinnon (3:00)
Proper. Yeah, it’s actually an fascinating phenomenon. The extra you consider pondering, you realize, and alter and habits and the way it all works. And so that you’re proper. I do know generally you’ll hear one thing and possibly it doesn’t even register such as you’re saying till a day or two later, the place you all of a sudden reprocess it and also you see one thing in a brand new gentle.
Peter Morrison (3:16)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (3:35)
And that’s occurred many occasions for me in methods which have been simply so, so useful and actually life-changing. I feel it’s fascinating to comprehend that, you realize, you may be going alongside eternally and ever and ever and simply get a brand new perception, a brand new thought and, you realize, the whole lot in that, the whole lot after that shifts, you realize, if you get simply this barely completely different approach of seeing one thing. So, I feel that that’s cool as a result of I’m persevering with to study.
Peter Morrison (3:56)
Mm-hmm.
Martha Mckinnon (4:14)
One other basic perception that I’ve is that we form of share and I like sharing and speaking about issues that I’m studying but additionally issues that I really feel like I have to know. And I feel the extra you discuss it, the extra you study and uncover. The extra progress you make in your journey. In order that’s fairly cool. So thanks for these conversations?
Peter Morrison (4:30)
Yeah, it’s good. I’m glad we took the plunge and determined to go for it.
Martha McKinnon (4:33)
Proper, precisely. And we didn’t wait until we have been prepared. That was a brand new perception that I had lately. I’m studying voraciously proper now. And one idea that actually simply kind of shook me was this entire idea of sometime – it’s simply actually, that’s only a thought. That’s only a idea. Typically we’ll inform ourselves, you realize, I’ll try this sometime. And it’s like, you’re solely ever gonna do something within the now, you realize, within the second. You already know, sometime – it’s both now or it’s by no means actually.
Peter Morrison (5:14)
Do you assume that’s simply an excuse we inform ourselves?
Martha McKinnon (5:17)
I don’t even assume it’s an excuse. I generally don’t even assume we give it some thought. I feel we generally simply say, effectively, sometime I’ll get to that. And I feel we use excuses that we don’t have time, we don’t have cash, or I’m not skilled sufficient. Once I get my subsequent diploma, once I take my subsequent course, I feel I do plenty of comparability about and I see a world of very, very sensible, succesful and proficient individuals.
And I feel there’s actual hazard in, you realize, evaluating your self and saying, effectively, and so I feel I’ve accomplished that lots to myself, you realize, once I’m feeling like I’m an professional or that I’ve one thing that’s actually invaluable to say. And I feel that that’s the hazard to, you’re all the time placing it on the market as a result of there’s yet one more course, there’s yet one more ebook,
there’s yet one more expertise earlier than you are feeling prepared.
However in the event you flip it and say, effectively possibly I’m one step forward on my journey of any individual else, or possibly I’ve one little perception to share. I don’t need to know the whole lot. Perhaps I simply need to know one factor that might be useful, and to let your self off the hook and say, I’ll simply share the one factor that I’ve realized. And if that helps any individual else, that’s a great factor. I feel that that’s been enormous for me, simply to have that consciousness, to provide myself permission to do the perfect I can and let that be ok.
Peter Morrison (6:59)
So was that tough for you after we determined to start out this?
Martha McKinnon (7:04)
No, no, as a result of I feel that I’d already began to have these awarenesses. I imply, I feel there have been some enormous shifts for me primarily based on some studying I’ve been doing and a few rules and philosophy that I’ve found inside this previous 12 months. And so if you supplied it up, I feel I used to be simply in that good area, you realize, to say, okay, let’s strive it. You already know, I feel the Martha of some years in the past would have been like, wait, there’s yet one more course, there’s yet one more certification, there’s yet one more factor. I feel I’m in a very completely different area primarily based on these new insights and understandings, so I feel the timing was proper.
Peter Morrison (7:46)
Hmm. Glorious.
Martha McKinnon (7:48)
Cool. So we’re going to speak about part cooking in the present day or part meal prep. As a result of meal prep is one thing that comes up lots if you’re attempting to eat higher, or if you’re attempting to shed pounds. Planning and prepping may be actually, actually necessary. Would you agree with that? That like having a plan, performing some pre-work, in the event you simply go away it to love the final minute to if you’re hungry and not using a plan we’re going to default to what’s simple, proper?
Martha McKinnon (8:15)
In our world, what’s simple tends to be working out to the restaurant, proper? Grabbing takeout, you realize, stopping on the drive by way of in order that, you realize, planning forward, doing just a little prep, I feel is absolutely necessary. It’s been actually necessary for me to try this pre-planning. As a result of if you wait until you’re hungry, it’s recreation on.
Peter Morrison (8:45)
Proper, effectively, any vitamin ebook or weight-reduction plan ebook, they’ve their protocols and their course of, however normally you’re cleansing out your cabinets, you’re grocery procuring, you’re kind of planning and prepping for no matter they inform you to do.
Martha McKinnon (8:59)
Proper. However I feel that must be balanced with actual life, proper, and a gradual method as a result of I do consider that it’s gradual, small adjustments primarily based on my a long time of, you realize, expertise, that it’s actually the sensible method. So I’m all the time searching for methods to make issues simpler, extra sensible. And there’s no a technique both.
Peter Morrison (9:25)
Proper.
Martha McKinnon (9:26)
So I like to supply up a lot of alternative ways in order that we are able to discover one thing that resonates with the widest number of of us as doable.
Peter Morrison (9:30)
Yep. No, no, I simply meant the planning, the prepping a part of it.
Martha McKinnon (9:32)
Yeah, for positive. I feel it’s essential. I feel anyone will inform you if you’re wanting to vary, you bought to do some planning and prepping. You bought to be performing some pre-thinking, for positive. So plenty of the approaches, so there’s a lot of alternative ways you possibly can method meal planning, meal prepping. And we’ve been offering meal plans, weekly kind of Weight Watchers pleasant meal plans now for a number of years. And so we have now an enormous archive on the market which I’d say take the extra conventional method the place you assume forward to the meals that you simply wish to make, you do your grocery procuring, and possibly you perform a little prepping forward. And that might be, I’d say, a extra conventional method to meal planning.
After which I’d say the meal prep, meal prepping, that you simply’ll see put forth is making some kind of meal after which separating it out into particular person containers. So for instance you would possibly make a wholesome stir-fry and cook dinner it up after which put it within the particular person containers and then you definitely’ve bought your weeks price of meals for lunch and or dinner. In order that’s a extra, a really conventional method to meal prep that works for lot of individuals. So that you cook dinner a few times, portion the whole lot out and then you definitely’re able to go. You possibly can simply heat up your meals. And that works effectively for lots of people.
Peter Morrison (10:43)
Hmm.
Martha McKinnon (10:58)
However for some individuals, in the event you don’t like leftovers, in the event you like selection, if you wish to be mixing issues up, then that sounds very boring to lots of people. And I do know lots of people who simply say, I don’t like leftovers. And so there’s an alternate method that I feel actually displays the place I’ve come to in my life proper now, which I do extra typically.
And I’d name it kind of part meal prep or ingredient meal prep. You prep
particular person substances that you may then use to combine and match to make a wide range of completely different meals. And generally I feel I form of use a kind of a hybrid of each of those in order that I would make a soup for instance and that might be extra conventional after which I would make some parts so I would use my my rice cooker (affiliate hyperlink) to cook dinner off quinoa or rice and I’d have that within the fridge. After which I would take a tray, a sheet pan and roast a bunch of greens and have that each one cooked.
I would then seize a rotisserie hen from the grocery retailer or cook dinner a rotisserie hen within the air fryer. And what I sometimes are likely to do is then like debone the hen instantly simply because I really feel prefer it’s simpler to debone it when it’s heat after which put the entire hen meat within the fridge. After which possibly if I’m actually formidable, a few of your salad, veggies, pre-washed, pre-chopped and in containers within the fridge. And if you try this, now you’ve bought all of those meals that you may combine and match in a wide range of methods with completely different sauces, with completely different garnishes to essentially combine issues up and you may get a meal put collectively actually shortly.
Is that one thing that you simply’ve ever tried or does that resonate with you? That entire simply cook dinner up some substances after which put them collectively in varied methods?
Peter Morrison (13:05)
I’ve by no means accomplished it that approach. The closest I’ve come is, and I feel we’ve touched on this in earlier podcasts, but when I used to be gonna make a soup or a stir-fry, generally I’d do it
very frivolously spiced or like no spice, simply possibly salt and pepper in order that future iterations or leftovers might be simply different with completely different spices and completely different sauces. In order that’s in all probability the closest I’ve come. However I haven’t ready a bunch of various parts forward of time. Not but.
Martha McKinnon (13:36)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (13:50)
And generally it might be simply as a lot as like having just a little little bit of, I used to be serious about this and speaking with with Brenda and I feel this type of part method or by no means actually ranging from scratch was the best way that if we seemed again at how our grandmothers and nice grandmothers cooked, I feel there was that that form of method to cooking the place like there can be like an enormous Sunday meal with an enormous hunk of meat, you realize, in all these varied sides from which there can be leftovers. The place the leftovers from that roast might then be mixed with a number of the leftover greens and might be become one other meal. Or possibly you add a salad in. So there was all the time, such as you have been all the time beginning, you weren’t ranging from scratch each night time. You have been all the time form of beginning with some leftovers on which you might then construct your meals, which I feel makes cooking and the entire technique of getting dinner on the desk each night time lots simpler in the event you’ve bought some issues to start out with
Peter Morrison (14:39)
Mmm.
Martha McKinnon (14:47)
I do know, for instance, with what I described, I’ll typically try this. And so then you definitely’re simply, you realize, at time for dinner, possibly you flip a number of the hen right into a hen salad and put it in lettuce wraps or make a sandwich or make a wrap out of it. Perhaps you’re taking a number of the hen – I’ve a recipe that I like that’s actually, actually easy the place you’re taking hen broth, salsa, chopped up rotisserie hen and white beans and also you stir that collectively and also you let that bubble up you realize for 10 or quarter-hour and it’s a really good soup.
You already know the bowls have grow to be actually massive. We eat lots in bowls. You’re taking your grain and your greens and your hen after which there’s so many various sauces now that you may drizzle it with barbecue sauce or some kind of tahini sauce or a peanut sauce or you possibly can take it in an Asian path or you realize add some marinara and take it in an Italian path and all of a sudden you simply have a lot of completely different flavors.
And so that you’re consuming the identical meat however you’re mixing them and matching them in ways in which simply don’t really feel as boring. You don’t actually really feel such as you’re consuming the identical factor each night time. So I simply needed to supply this up as a substitute for just like the extra conventional method. Or possibly you play with some kind of hybrid method to this.
And this actually kind of performs into our final podcast episode the place we’re speaking about lady dinner. You already know, you probably have all these meals within the fridge, you possibly can simply kind of combine them, match them, put them on a plate, possibly add a dip. And all of a sudden dinner simply turns into, particularly in the event you’re cooking for your self, which plenty of our readers are. There are plenty of readers who’re, they reside alone or they’re, you realize, they’re households of 1 or two.
And this will simply be only a new mind-set about feeding your self that’s simply, I feel, extra conducive to if you’re cooking for one or two.
Peter Morrison (16:55)
And it looks like it doubtlessly might end in much less waste.
Martha McKinnon (17:01)
Yeah.
Peter Morrison (17:04)
As a result of I do know generally you purchase all these substances to make a sure meal or one thing and it’s like, effectively, now what am I going to do with, you realize, three quarters of one thing that you simply had leftover if you solely wanted just a little bit.
Martha Mckinnon (17:21)
Yeah. That’s a great consciousness, you’re proper, as a result of particularly, I discovered that that I actually discovered that the standard meal planning method for me by no means labored as a result of I’ve solely ever been a household of 1 or two. I’ve by no means had an enormous household. So typically you do plenty of planning, such as you’re saying, you do plenty of procuring with this intention that you simply’re going to cook dinner three or 4 or 5 occasions within the week after which life will get in the best way. The recipe makes greater than you notice. And so you could have much more leftover. Or any individual invitations you out to dinner, and all of a sudden you could have all these substances that don’t get utilized in a well timed method, you and find yourself, you find yourself losing plenty of substances.
Peter Morrison (17:47)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (17:50)
So that you’re proper. I imply, I’ve discovered that that’s one thing that I discover about my fridge. It looks like once I examine my fridge to different individuals’s fridges, it doesn’t actually appear to be it’s not as stuffed. It doesn’t appear as if there’s as a lot in it.
Peter Morrison (18:02)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (18:17)
However it’s meals that may be readily used and combined and matched. It looks like every time I open the fridge, there’s all the time one thing to eat, though there’s free area in there too. There’s all the time like, you realize, meals that I all the time open it up and say, you realize, I can combine this and that and have a pleasant lunch. So that you’re proper. I imply, the waste is an effective level that it does, I consider, result in much less waste as effectively.
Peter Morrison (18:31)
Mm. Excellent.
Martha McKinnon (18:54)
Does it make sense? You assume it’s one thing you would possibly strive? You could have a reasonably, I feel after we’ve talked about the best way that you simply’re approached to consuming, imply, you’ve created a very nice method, I feel, in that you’ve sure meals which might be kind of traditions that you simply make on sure days of the week, proper? I imply, you just about cook dinner, such as you grill salmon just about each Sunday, is that proper?
Peter Morrison (19:19)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (19:19)
That’s form of cool, proper? After which do you all the time eat it in the identical precise approach or do you could have completely different sides with it?
Peter Morrison (19:29)
It generally varies by season, however it’s normally with a salad. Generally it’s a selfmade salad, generally it’s a bagged salad that you simply simply kind of add one thing to. And generally in the event you’re uninterested in salad, I’ll air fry some greens, like broccoli, cauliflower or carrots simply to kind of change issues up.
Martha McKinnon (19:51)
Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (19:56)
Generally, yeah, generally there’s candy potatoes concerned. Generally there’s quinoa. So sure it does range.
Martha McKinnon (20:05)
So it’s form of neat although, and I feel it’s an excellent method to simplification. I feel one other nice method to meal planning, meal prep, in the event you simply begin to assume. As a result of I feel we lose plenty of time, do, with simply serious about what to do as a substitute of simply understanding what you’re going to do. I feel understanding what you’re going to do is like 90% of the battle.
So if you realize that Sunday is salmon, and possibly Monday is meatless and Tuesday is tacos and Wednesday is pasta and you realize Thursday’s leftovers – I feel life will get lots simpler as a result of there’s plenty of time we lose in attempting to assume what to have. I do know I feel an excessive amount of, so overthinking or attempting to resolve it’s like the same phenomenon as individuals who’ve simply provide you with their uniform for work.
Peter Morrison (20:41)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (21:03)
You already know the entire Steve Jobs denims, sneakers, black-turtle-neck method, the place it’s like, when you could have a lot of selections to make in your life, you wish to work out methods to reduce selections in different areas of your life, simply to make life nicer. And I feel that’s one other factor we are able to do for ourselves on this planet of meals, particularly is simply determine it out, provide you with a routine that works, provide you with a plan, and we take simply plenty of strain off ourselves, and it turns into simple.
Martha McKinnon (21:29)
I feel this performs lots into the entire idea of habits and habits change. If you’ll find new methods to be and new methods to make issues simpler, then you definitely’re simply going to be extra profitable.
Peter Morrison (21:47)
And I like these days when the meal is already, since you kind of know what you’re having. You won’t know 100%. And it simply provides you a lot extra time and extra psychological area. Yeah, yeah.
Martha McKinnon (21:54)
Proper.
Martha Mckinnon (22:03)
Psychological area, proper? I feel that that’s what we’re struggling lots from simply, effectively, overload, proper? Overload in so many various methods. lLike overload in simply selections that must be made, proper? And such as you’re saying, as soon as the choices made it’s simpler as a result of we lose a lot time within the technique of attempting to resolve.
Peter Morrison (22:27)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (22:32)
They’re not life threatening determination, however like what we’re going to have for dinner. If we are able to simply begin figuring that out and determining a system to make it simpler, it simply frees up this large quantity of psychological area that you’ve for different issues. It’s fascinating. And I feel possibly that’s why this method actually works. It really works as a result of in the event you’ve bought a bunch of meals within the fridge, you possibly can simply work out some method to put it collectively. Or if you realize salmon is on Sundays and also you’re going to do pasta on Wednesdays, your life simply will get simpler.
Peter Morrison (23:01)
Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (23:12)
Mm hmm. And it doesn’t need to be precisely the identical, know. You would you might simply change it up. And in the event you’re in the event you’re somebody like me, the entire paradox of alternative, which was a very good ebook, it’s you realize, I’m I’m after studying that ebook, I’m a maximizer. It’s like if there’s one thing to analysis and 20 variations to kind of filter by way of in your mind, I’m going to I’m going to undergo all of them earlier than I resolve.
Martha McKinnon (23:33)
Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (23:41)
My goodness it simply takes approach an excessive amount of time and power.
Martha McKinnon (23:47)
I feel that that phenomenon exists within the weight-reduction plan world, fairly truthfully. As a result of there are such a lot of completely different approaches to weight administration. And I feel lots of people simply spend their entire lives attempting to resolve which method to take. I’ve even heard seen that when individuals stroll into Weight Watchers for the primary time. I have to lose some weight however I’m confused. Do I do low carb? Do I do Mediterranean? Do I do vegetarian?
Peter Morrison (23:58)
Hmm.
Martha McKinnon (24:17)
You possibly can simply lose your life, proper? Assessing, attempting to maximise which method is the perfect method and by no means really take a step in direction of altering. And I feel it’s an actual phenomenon in our world simply because o like info overload. So after we acknowledge that about ourselves, like no matter we are able to do to make life simpler and higher for ourselves, to reduce our selections is, you realize, it’s a form factor to do.
Peter Morrison (24:29)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (24:49)
Mm-hmm. Properly, I like the concept of part constructing meals which have parts.
Martha McKinnon (24:50)
All proper.
Martha McKinnon (24:55)
Yeah, and I hope this resonates with others. I imply, we’d like to get your suggestions, for people who find themselves tuning into this, to get your feedback and your ideas you probably have an method to meal planning and or meal prepping that you simply’ve discovered works for you. And I feel like all of this, you simply bought to maintain attempting, you realize, attempting completely different approaches to you discover what works for you. And in the event you strive one thing for some time and it’s not working, know that there’s a lot of options and there’s a lot of alternative ways to get to your vacation spot. You simply bought to maintain attempting, hold plugging alongside, plodding alongside, and then you definitely’ll discover what resonates with you.
Peter Morrison (25:35)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (25:37)
All proper, we’re going to log off right here and be again once more quickly. Have a great one.
Peter Morrison (25:39)
Thanks very a lot. Have a great one everybody, take care.
